A JAIL sentence has been handed to a fraudster who stole more than £30,000 from the betting shop he worked for after lying about his previous offending in his application for the job.

Gary Orbell, from Guildford, pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud, the first relating to the application form, the others to the transferring of money belonging to the bookies and altering betting slips.

While the 32-year-old was given a year-long jail term, another man, Darren Walrond, received a nine-month sentence after admitting money laundering when he received some of the stolen funds.

Prosecuting at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, Martin Rutherford said the first offence had occurred when Orbell submitted the job application to Coral Racing on October 26, 2007.

Orbell started working for the company, primarily at its Ewell branch, in November that year, before the fraudulent acts took place over a period of a month, the court heard.

“During that month he used his position to fraudulently transfer £30,218 of money belonging to Coral,” Mr Rutherford said.

“That money was transferred primarily to himself and also on one occasion to his wife, and on three occasions to Mr Walrond.”

Some £22,000 was paid from the till to debit cards meant for customers, the court heard, Mr Rutherford adding that “the other £8,000 Mr Orbell fraudulently secured by changing betting slips at the end of races”.

Barrister Philip Longes said Orbell regretted his actions, adding that when he lied about his previous convictions it had not been “in his mind” to go on and defraud his employer.

Instead those actions were the result of his £400-a-week cocaine habit, the court heard.

“That’s what lies behind the offending,” Mr Longes said. “He was inevitably going to be caught so in that sense it was unsophisticated, because he could not cover his tracks.”

Orbell had since found work in the scaffolding industry, the lawyer added, saying he had also managed to steer clear of drugs.

Lisa Matthews, defending Walrond, said of her client: “He did not know specifically where it [the money] was coming from but obviously he did realise it was dishonest money.”

The former footballer, of Brafferton Road, Croydon, is currently serving a six-year jail sentence for robbery, the barrister said.

“He is gaining qualifications whilst in custody,” she said, adding that the 27-year-old father of three received the money “as a favour to a friend”.

An order was made for the seizure of one of two vehicles bought after money was paid to Orbell’s wife, Natasha, against whom no evidence was offered. While one of them has disappeared, the other, an MG Rover, will be forfeited.